West Virginia’s bowl picture is already starting to take shape, even before the 2026 season gets rolling. With Rich Rodriguez set to lead the Mountaineers into their opener against Coastal Carolina this weekend, a fresh batch of national projections has WVU landing in a familiar range - and, in several cases, in the same postseason destination.
A handful of forecasters have West Virginia headed to the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 22. CBSSports has the Mountaineers facing Tulane there, while ESPN’s Schlabach has them matched up with Liberty. AthlonSports projects a meeting with Kennesaw State, and Brett McMurphy slots WVU against Cal in the same game.
Not everyone sees the Mountaineers bowling at all. ESPN’s Bonagura and USAToday both left West Virginia out of their latest projections.
The Big 12’s postseason pecking order matters here, of course. After the College Football Playoff selections are made, the league’s order runs through the Valero Alamo Bowl, Pop-Tarts Bowl, Kinder's Texas Bowl, AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Cactus Bowl, and then the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
There’s also the added wrinkle of the “Pac 12 Legacy Bowl Tie-Ins,” with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah linked to the Valero Alamo Bowl, the Las Vegas Bowl, the Holiday Bowl and Tony the Tiger Sun bowl alongside the Big 12 arrangement.
West Virginia’s overall bowl history gives the projections some context. The Mountaineers are 17-24 all-time in bowl games and have won just three since joining the Big 12 Conference. Neal Brown’s teams beat North Carolina in the 2023 Duke's Mayo Bowl and Army in the 2020 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and the program’s first Big 12 bowl win came in the 43-42 victory over Arizona State in the 2016 Cactus Bowl.
The Independence Bowl would be a familiar stage if WVU ends up there. The Mountaineers have played in the Liberty Bowl three times, going 1-2 with losses to Texas A&M in 2014 and Utah in 1964, and they’ve also appeared in the Cheez-It Bowl three times, also finishing 1-2.
That bowl has worn several names over the years, including the Cactus Bowl, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and, back in 1998, the Insight.com Bowl, when West Virginia lost to Missouri. The Mountaineers’ only other First Responder Bowl appearance came in 2017, when the game was still called the Heart of Dallas Bowl and WVU fell 30-14 to Utah.
In Other News...
Pat Whites WVU Honor Only Happened After A Longstanding Barrier Fell
Pat White is finally getting the kind of recognition that has long felt overdue in Morgantown, with his No. 5 jersey set to be ceremonially retired Saturday before West Virginias season opener. The official retirement will come after the current season ends, once Jaden Bray finishes his eligibility, but the announcement alone marks a significant shift for a program that had long held firm on a rule that kept jerseys from being retired.
The key change came when the West Virginia Athletic Council revised that policy, opening the door for Whites place in school history to be honored in the most visible way possible. In a recent interview, White said he reflected on his career and expressed gratitude for the moment, a fitting response for one of the defining figures of the Mountaineers modern era, even as the final step in the process still waits out the season. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Just Made West Virginias QB Situation Even More Intriguing
Rich Rodriguez used the first Coaches Show of the new season to lay out where West Virginia stands after a busy roster reset, and the biggest takeaway was how much the staff is leaning on experience to steady things up front. He touched on the additions the Mountaineers brought in through high school recruiting and the transfer portal, then quickly turned to the offensive line, where continuity figures to matter a great deal as the team tries to settle into a faster rhythm.
The quarterback picture, though, is the part that will keep drawing attention. Rodriguez named Scotty Fox and Michael Hawkins as possible starters, which only adds another layer to a room that still has to define itself while the rest of the offense takes shape around it. He also gave updates on Cam Cook, Amari Latimer, DJ Epps and Jaden Bray, all while making it clear the up-tempo approach remains the plan, so the pressure to identify the right pieces and get them moving together is already building. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Is Bringing Back A WVU Feel Fans Will Debate
Rich Rodriguez is already putting his stamp back on the Mountaineers, and one of the first visible changes will be at the start of the game. On his radio show, Rodriguez said West Virginia will not revive the inflatable helmet entrance that became a calling card in the early 2000s. Instead, the team is headed back to a more familiar setup, entering through the tunnel with smoke and a tunnel camera feeding the big screen for fans.
It is a small detail, but in Morgantown these kinds of details matter because they help shape the feel of game day. Last years entrance from the weight room was a notable departure, and now the program is leaning back toward a look that feels more connected to its past. Whether fans embrace the change or argue for the old spectacle, Rodriguez has made clear the first impression at home will have a different flavor this time around. [Read more 🡒]